This invention relates to transparent resin compositions that absorb near infrared radiation (with wavelengths in the range of 780-1800 nm). More particularly, it relates to excellent transparent resin compositions capable of both efficiently absorbing near infrared radiation and efficiently transmitting visible light (380-780 nm).
Transparent resin materials with near infrared absorption characteristics possess both clearness and ability of heat radiation shielding by near infrared absorption. These features make them attractive as light-admitting materials for buildings, windows of transport vehicle, ceilings, doors, arcades, garages, sunrooms, greenhouses, etc.
Their ability of absorbing near infrared radiation also promises their uses in such applications as eye-protecting lenses and other safety glasses, infrared-sensitive filters, and photosensitive materials using semiconductor laser beam sources.
As a conventional transparent resin material with near infrared absorption characteristics, a polymer prepared by dissolving tungsten hexachloride and tin chloride in methyl methacrylates for polymerization is known (U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,688).
Other near infrared absorbers are, for example, a thiol-nickel complex (Japanese Patent Application Publication (Kokoku) No. 60-21294), chromium-cobalt complex salt (Japanese Patent Application Publication (Kokoku) No. 60-42269), anthraquinone derivative (Japanese Patent Application Public Disclosure (Kokai) No. 61-115958), and squarilium compound (Japanese Patent Application Public Disclosure (Kokai) No. 61-218551).
Instead of adding a near-infrared absorber to resins, vapor deposition of aluminum, silver or other metal on one side of a polyethylene terephthalate film has also been practiced to manufacture a heat radiation reflecting film. The reflecting film, when laminated to a transparent resin material, achieves the dual effects of reflecting a heat radiation from the outside and suppressing an increase of the internal temperature.
The near infrared-absorbing, transparent resin materials of the prior art have had problems. For example, the near infrared absorbers of organic type are inferior in durability and have difficulties in sustaining their effect. Meanwhile, the absorbers of complex type are durable but absorb part of the radiation in the visible region too, and they often are colored and hence limited in use depending on the application.
Another prior art system of tungsten hexachloride and tin chloride is a good absorber of near infrared radiation but presents a problem of fading upon standing for many hours in the dark.
The heat radiation reflecting film obtained by the above-mentioned metal vapor deposition rather than by the addition of a near infrared absorber causes a problem of dimming rooms when it is laminated to window glasses: The metal vapor deposition layer reflects not merely heat radiation but visible light too, thus reducing the light transmission through the film. Moreover, adhering the film to a transparent resin material with adhesive tends to entrap air between the adhered surfaces. The entrapped air forms xe2x80x9cblistersxe2x80x9d, which can swell. This can seriously reduce the transmission or cause the film to come off easily. A further problem is the tendency of metal oxidation with time, which leads to discoloration or diminished heat radiation reflectivity.
The present inventors have intensively searched for solutions to the foregoing problems. It has now been found, as a result, that mixing a transparent thermoplastic resin with a specific thiuram compound and/or a metal dithiocarbamate compound and a specific copper compound gives a transparent resin composition capable of efficiently absorbing near infrared radiation and also efficiently transmitting visible light and which, moreover, exhibits excellent durability. The present invention is predicated upon this finding.
In brief, the subject of the invention is a transparent resin composition with excellent near infrared absorption characteristics which comprises 100 parts by weight of a transparent thermoplastic resin, about 0.01 to about 2 parts by weight of a thiuram compound of the general formula (A): 
in which R1 and R2 are the same or different and represent monovalent groups selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, aralkyl, and 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic groups, each of which may contain one or more substituents, or form together a ring, and m and n are integers of 1 to 4 each, and/or a metal dithiocarbamate compound of the general formula (B): 
in which R3 and R4 are the same or different and represent monovalent groups selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, aralkyl, and 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic group, each of which may contain one or more substituents, or form a ring, M is Zn, Co, Ni, Fe, Na or K, and p is an integer of 1 to 4 equivalent to the valency of M, and about 0.01 to about 2 parts by weight of a copper compound of the general formula (C):
XqCuxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(C)
in which X is sulfur, fluorine, chlorine, xe2x80x94CN, phthalocyanyl, sodium chlorophyllin, bisacetylacetate or R5xe2x80x94Y (wherein R5 is a monovalent group selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, aralkyl, and heterocyclic group, each of which may contain one or more substituents, and Y is xe2x80x94COO, xe2x80x94SO4, xe2x80x94SO3, xe2x80x94PO4 or xe2x80x94O), and q is 1 or 2.
Another subject of the invention is a transparent resin composition with excellent near infrared absorption characteristics which comprises 100 parts by weight of a transparent thermoplastic resin, about 0.01 to about 2 parts by weight of a copper dithiocarbamate compound of the general formula (D): 
in which R6 and R7 are the same or different and represent monovalent groups selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, aralkyl, and 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic group, each of which may contain one or more substituents, or form together a ring, and 0 to about 2 parts by weight of a copper compound of the general formula (C) above.
The invention will now be described in more detail.
Transparent thermoplastic resin which may be used for the present invention includes, but are not limited to, transparent resin material such as polycarbonate, polyester, methacrylic, styrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyolefin and polyamide resin. These resins may be used singly or as a mixture of two or more.
The term polycarbonate resin as used herein means the polymers obtained either by the phosgene process in which any of varied dihydroxydiaryl compound is reacted with phosgene or by the ester exchange process in which a dihydroxydiaryl compound is reacted with carbonic ester such as diphenyl carbonate. Typical of them is a polycarbonate resin produced from 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (bisphenol A).
Examples of the dihydroxydiaryl compounds, besides bisphenol A, are: bis(hydroxyaryl)alkanes, such as bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)methane, 1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane, 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)butane, 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)octane, bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)phenylmethane, 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl-3-methylphenyl)propane, 1,1-bis(4-hydroxy-3-tert.butylphenyl)propene, 2,2-bis(4-hydroxy-3-bromophenyl)propane, 2,2-bis(4-hydroxy-3,5-dibromophenyl)propane and 2,2-bis(4-hydroxy-3,5-dichlorophenyl)propane; bis(hydroxyaryl)cycloalkanes, such as 1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)cyclopentane and 1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexane; dihydroxydiaryl ethers, such as 4,4xe2x80x2-dihydroxydiphenyl ether and 4,4xe2x80x2-dihydroxy-3,3xe2x80x2-dimethyldiphenyl ether; dihydroxydiaryl sulfides, such as 4,4xe2x80x2-dihydroxydiphenyl sulfide; dihydroxyaryl sulfoxides, such as 4,4xe2x80x2-hydrodiphenyl sulfoxide and 4,4xe2x80x2-dihydroxy-3,3xe2x80x2-dimethyldiphenyl sulfoxide; and dihydroxydiaryl sulfones, such as 4,4xe2x80x2-dihydroxydiphenyl sulfone and 4,4xe2x80x2-dihydroxy-3,3xe2x80x2-dimethyldiphenyl sulfone.
Such a dihydroxyaryl compound may be used in combination with a trivalent or more polyvalent phenol compound. Tri- or more polyvalent phenols include phloroglucin, 4,6-dimethyl-2,4,6-tri(4-hydroxyphenyl)heptene, 2,4,6-dimethyl-2,4,6-tri(4-hydroxyphenyl)heptane, 1,3,5-tri(4-hydroxyphenyl)benzole, 1,1,1-tri(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane, and 2,2-bis[4,4-(4,4xe2x80x2-dihydroxydiphenyl)cyclohexyl]propane.
The polyester resin is, for example, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyacrylate or polyether ether ketone.
By methacrylic resin is meant the polymers of various esters of methacrylic acid or the copolymers of the polymers with other monomers. Examples are various homopolymers of various methacrylic esters, such as methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, and butyl methacrylate, and copolymers of those methacrylic esters and various acrylic esters, acrylic acid, styrene, xcex1-methylstyrene, etc.
Among styrene resins are the polymers of styrene monomers and copolymers obtained from a styrene monomer and a monomer copolymerizable with the styrene monomer (optionally in the presence of a rubbery substance). Styrene monomers include styrene, a-methylstyrene, and styrene derivatives with benzene rings in which hydrogen atom is replaced by a halogen atom or an alkyl group containing 1 to 2 carbon atoms. Typical examples are styrene, o-chlorostyrene, p-chlorostyrene, 2,4-dimethylstyrene, and t-butylstyrene. Examples of copolymerizable monomers are: acrylonitrile monomers, such as (meth)acrylonitrile, xcex1-chloroacrylonitrile, and vinylidene cyanide; (meth)acrylic acids and their esters, such as (meth)acrylic acid, methyl (meth)acrylate, ethyl meth)acrylate, butyl (meth)acrylate, glycidyl (meth)acrylate, 2-ethylhexylbutyl (meth)acrylate, and xcex2-hydroxyethyl (meth)acrylate; and vinyl acetate, vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, vinyl pyrrolidone, (meth)acrylamides, maleic anhydride, itaconic anhydride, and maleimides. Examples of rubbery substances are polybutadiene rubber, styrene-butadiene copolymer rubber, ethylene-propylene rubber, butadiene-acrylonitrile copolymer rubber, butyl rubber, acrylic rubber, styrene-isobutylene-butadiene copolymer rubber, and isoprene-acrylic ester copolymer rubber.
Polyvinyl chloride resins are, for example, homopolymers of vinyl chloride and copolymers of such a homopolymer and a small amount of a comonomer, and graft copolymers. Polymer blends of such a polymer and vinylidene chloride resin, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, polyethylene chloride, etc. may also be employed.
By polyolefin resins is meant either xcex1-olefin homopolymers or copolymers of an xcex1-olefin and another copolymerizable monomer. Typical of them are polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-propylene copolymer, ethylene-butene copolymers ethylene-4-methyl-1-pentene copolymer, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, and ethylene-acrylate copolymer. Of those, the low-density polyethylene having a density in the range of 0.910 to 0.935, ethylene-xcex1-olefin copolymer, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer having a vinyl acetate content of 30wt % or less are desirable as agricultural films with transparency and weather resistance. Among these desirable copolymers, the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer with a vinyl acetate content between about 5 and about 30wt % is preferred on account of its better transparency, flexibility; and weather resistance.
Polyamide resins are, for example, nylon-6, nylon-66, nylon-12, and nylon-46.
The thiuram compound to be used in the present invention is a compound represented by the general formula (A) 
in which R1 and R2 are the same or different and represent monovalent groups selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, aralkyl, and 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic group, each of which may contain one or more substituents, or form together a ring, and m and n are integers of 1 to 4 each.
Examples of the thiuram compound are tetramethylthiuram monosulfide, tetramethylthiuram disulfide, tetraethylthiuram disulfide, tetrabutylthiuram disulfide, and dipentamethylenethiuram tetrasulfide. Of these, tetramethylthiuram disulfide 
and dipentamethylenethiuram tetrasulfide 
are preferably used.
The amount of such a thiuram compound to be used is in the range of about 0.01 to about 2 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of a transparent thermoplastic resin. An amount of less than about 0.01 part by weight makes the resulting composition inferior in absorption of light in the near infrared region An amount of more than about 2 parts by weight is also undesirable since it reduces the visible light transmission. A preferred range is about 0.05 to about 0.5 part by weight, and a more preferred range is about 0.1 to about 0.2 part by weight.
The metal dithiocarbamate compound to be used in the invention is a compound represented by the general formula (B) 
in which R3 and R4 are the same or different and represent monovalent groups selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, aralkyl, and 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic group, each of which may contain one or more substituents, or form together a ring, M is Zn, Co, Ni, Fe, Na or K, and p is an integer of 1 to 4 equivalent to the valency of M.
Exemplary metal dithiocarbamate compounds are nickel dimethyldithiocarbamate, zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate, zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate ate, zinc dibutyldithiocarbamate, zinc ethylphenyldithiocarbamate, tellurium diethyldithiocarbamate, iron dimethyldithiocarbamate, sodium dimethyldithiocarbamate, and sodium diethyldithiocarbamate. Above all, nickel dimethyldithiocarbamate is preferably used.
The amount of the metal dithiocarbamate compound to be used ranges from about 0.01 to about 2parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of a transparent thermoplastic resin. If the amount is less than about 0.01 part by weight the resulting composition will be inferior in absorption of light in the near infrared region. An amount in excess of about 2 parts by weight is again undesirable because it reduces the visible light transmission. The range is preferably about 0.05 to about 0.5 part by weight, and more preferably about 0.1 to about 0.2 part by weight.
The copper dithiocarbamate compound to be used in the invention is a compound represented by the general formula (D): 
in which R6 and R7 are the same or different and represent monovalent groups selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, aralkyl, and 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic group, each of which may contain one or more substituents, or form together a ring.
Examples of the copper dithiocarbamate compound are copper dimethyldithiocarbamate, copper diethyldithiocarbamate, copper dibutyldithiocarbamate, and copper ethylphenyldithiocarbamate. Of these, copper dimethyldithiocarbamate is preferred.
The amount of a copper dithiocarbamate compound to be used is about 0.01 to about 2 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of a transparent thermoplastic resin. An amount of less than about 0.01 part by weight results in inadequate absorption of light in the near infrared region. An amount of more than about 2 parts by weight is undesirable either because it reduces the visible light transmission. The range is preferably about 0.05 to about 0.5 part by weight, and more preferred about 0.1 to about 0.2 part by weight.
The copper compound to be used in the invention is a compound represented by the general formula (C):
XqCuxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(C)
in which X is sulfur, fluorine, chlorine, xe2x80x94CN, phthalocyanyl, sodium chlorophyllin, bisacetylacetate or R5xe2x80x94Y (wherein R5 is a monovalent group selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, aralkyl, and heterocyclic group, each of which may contain one or more substituents, and Y is xe2x80x94COO, xe2x80x94SO4, xe2x80x94SO3, xe2x80x94PO4 or xe2x80x94O), and q is 1 or 2.
Examples of the copper compound are copper stearate, copper sulfide, and copper phthalocyanyl. Among these, copper stearate is most desirably used.
The amount of the copper compound, when it is used together with a thiuram compound and/or a metal dithiocarbamate compound, is about 0.01 to about 2 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of a transparent thermoplastic resin. If the amount is below about 0.01 part by weight, the light absorption characteristics in the near infrared region will be inadequate. If the amount exceeds about 2 parts by weight, the visible light transmission will decrease undesirably. The range is preferably about 0.05 to about 0.5 part by weight, and more preferably about 0.1 to about 0.4 part by weight.
The amount of the copper compound, when it is used together with a copper dithiocarbamate compound, is about 0 to about 2 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of a transparent thermoplastic resin. The range is preferably about 0 to about 0.5 part by weight, and more preferably about 0 to about 0.4 part by weight.
The transparent thermoplastic resin may be mixed with any of various heat stabilizers, infrared absorbers, ultraviolet absorbers, colorants, fluorescent brighteners, mold releasing agents, antiblocking agents (silica, crosslinked polystyrene beads, etc.), softening agents, antistatic agents, and other additives, provided that these materials do not impair the advantageous effects of the invention.
There is no special limitation to the method of mixing the thiuram compound and/or the metal dithiocarbamate compound and copper compound in the transparent resin composition of the invention. For example, either mixing by means of a conventional mixer such as a tumbler or ribbon blender or melt mixing by an extruder may be used.